Peer Coaching to Support Weight Management in Primary Care: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Obesity research
• Primary care interventions
• Behavioral health

Background:

• Obesity is a major health concern, with significant barriers to effective weight management in primary care.
• Peer coaching offers a potential strategy to overcome these barriers and improve patient engagement.
• The Peer-Assisted Lifestyle intervention aimed to leverage peer support for weight management within a primary care setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a peer coaching intervention for weight management compared to enhanced usual care (EUC).
• To assess the impact of peer coaching on weight loss and attendance in weight management programs.

Main Methods:

• A cluster randomized clinical trial involving primary care physicians and their patients with overweight or obesity.
• The intervention group received peer coaching (1 in-person, 12 telephone sessions) alongside a goal-setting tool.
• The control group received enhanced usual care (health education materials).

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in mean weight change was observed between the peer coaching and EUC groups at 12 months.
• The peer coaching group showed a significantly higher proportion of patients achieving at least 5% body weight loss at 6 months (16.68% vs 5.50%).
• Attendance at weight management programs was significantly higher in the peer coaching arm at 6 months (28.68% vs 13.32%).

Conclusions:

• A low- to moderate-intensity peer-coaching intervention did not lead to greater weight loss at 12 months.
• Peer coaching demonstrated a positive impact on patient engagement, evidenced by improved attendance in weight management programs.
• Further research may explore optimizing peer coaching intensity and delivery for sustained weight loss outcomes.